Bollywood in Cuba – Be Prepared to Be Perplexed & Amazed

Talk about Cuba and the things that come to the mind are – music, dancing, Fidel Castro and their Boxers – not in any particular order though. Distance no longer matters to Bollywood filmmakers now, as most of them have already shot in South-american countries.

Those who have been to Cuba years ago would notice that not much has changed here for decades: the classic American cars, cigar-smoking farmers with big moustaches, horse-drawn carriages and colonial Spanish architecture, all apparently unaffected by the fast pace of modernization. And its these images that attract filmmakers here.

But then Cuba has much more to offer. Newly erected department stores and shopping malls, state-of-the-art hotels and resorts are the hallmarks of this new, emerging Cuba.

Music & Dance: Lifeline of Cubans

Latin music & dancing has caught up with Indians big time, with almost everybody here in India, having some understanding of the various Latin dancing forms.

As originators of the most influential Latin music styles, such as bolero & rumba, which later on gave birth to the most famous dance forms of them all – the ‘Salsa’ – the people in Cuba always seem ready to party.

Cubans, like the Brazilians, want to have a good time ‘all the time’. Their energy and spirit are best expressed through music and dance, both of which are vital facets of the island’s culture.

Towards the end of the song ‘Laapata’, even Salman Khan gets on to the dance floor to show-off his Salsa skills.

Here’s the dancing scene in Cuba; enjoy both the music as well as the dance

Salman Khan: New Face of Cuban Tourism

We all know how Sallu, at times, can be impulsive. While there are so many directors who are waiting in a long queue to sign this superstar for their next film, Salman gave his go-ahead to be a part of an ad film to promote Cuban Tourism, when he was in Cuba to shoot for ‘Ek Tha Tiger’.

The tourism department of Cuba were keen to have Salman in their advertisement, and so when a filmmaker walked up to him on the set (Sallu was shooting in Havana) and asked if he could do some shots for their film promoting the local tourism in Cuba, Salman was more than willing. The filmmaker quickly got his crew to the set, took a few shots of the actor smiling and waving to people around. Salman checked the footage and okayed it on the spot.

That is one gesture that would surely win Salman many more Cuban fans.

Republic of Cuba Tourism

Cuba, officially known as the Republic of Cuba, is an island country in the Caribbean. Tourism is big business here and one of the main sources of revenue for the island country.

Official language: Spanish Language. Like most South american countries, Spanish is the main language spoken in Cuba, although many do understand and speak some English.

From Havana down to Guantanamo, you can have just about any type of location that you can imagine. All the major cities are serviced by international hotels, occasionally however, when venturing away from the beaten track, it may be practical to stay at a Casa Particulars, a common practice, where homes are opened up to visitors, the owners rent out rooms and cook for their guests.

Watch out for the Hurricanes
Cuba does get quite a few hurricanes, and it doesn’t seem to be one-off event. So avoid the hurricane season – June to November with September – October the worst two months. These hurricanes usually leave behind a trail of damages and local transportation gets hit, so its best to avoid travel to Cuba during that period.